What is Black pepper?
Black pepper,Piper nigrum,is a plant largely cultivated for its spicy fruit, peppercorn,dried and used often for cooking,sometimes as its oil in aromatherapy and powder in pain relief creams,gels etc.
The plant is a flowering vine that belongs to the family Piperaceae.
A black pepper plant produce fruit that ripens dark red,reach about 5 milimetres in diameter and contains a single seed when the fruit is fresh and fully mature like all drupes.
What does black pepper taste like?
Black Pepper has a sharp,spicy intense flavour with a characteristic woody, hot and biting taste.
Does black pepper taste different than white pepper?
Yes.black pepper is more spicy because of the way it is processed differently from white pepper.
Unlike black pepper that are drupes, white peppers are berries. When fully ripe, their fruits are harvested and soaked in water for days to ferment before each fruit’s outer layer (pericarp) is peeled off completely, losing some of its piperine in the processs.
That is why the white pepper tastes less spicy when compared to the taste of black pepper.
Is piperine the same as black pepper?
Black pepper is the common name for dried fruit of the plant, Piper nigrum while piperine is that chemical substance found in substantial amount in the black pepper fruit which is responsible for the pungent sharp spicy taste of black pepper.
It is an alkaloid like capsaicin found in chilli sauce and, like capsaicin, can be isolated from the fruit and sold in its pure form. It is used in some pharmaceutical preparations.
How do you isolate black pepper piperine?
To extract piperine from black pepper seeds, ground the dried ripe black peppercorns into fine powder.
Weigh out 10grams of the powder and transfer into 150 ml , 95% ethano solvent and extract the piperine with Soxhlet extractor for 2 to 3 hours. Filter the extract and concentrate on a water bath set at 60°C.
Does black pepper cause stomach ulcers?
Ulcer is commonly reported in people who are in the habit of taking “painkillers” in the category of NSAIDS and are infected with the bacteria “Helicobacter Pylori,” responsible for excessive acid secretion and acid erosion of the gut mucosal layer.
The stomach discomfort caused by eating spicy foods can some times be confused with some symptoms reported during ulcer and may discourage an ulcer patient from eating or taking ulcer medication until the pain and stomach discomfort subsides.
However, piperine in black pepper when consumed in moderation, like capsaicin in chilli pepper, have been found in studies that they to stimulate the afferent neurons in the stomach and signal for protection against injury causing agents like acid by
alkali neutralization of the acid through mucus secretions and increase gastric mucosal blood flow which help in prevention and healing of ulcers.
So it is a fact that black pepper does not cause ulcer.
Is black pepper good for mucus?
With its piperine, black pepper can actually increase the secretion of mucus thereby making thick mucus blocking airways to loosen up and get thinner and “melt” away thereby decongesting your airways relieving your sinuses.
What happens when you inhale black pepper?
When you inhale black pepper, its piperine elicit a response by cells of your airways as a protective measure to prevent injury.
This response including secretion of mucus to flood the region and neutralize acidic effect and swept away by the tiny hairs in your airways.
Also, sneezing helps to force out the irritant and clear the airway of the black pepper debris.
What are the side effects of black pepper?
If you eat large amounts of black pepper, you would have loaded your body system with piperine which has serious side effects such as severe burning sensations in the stomach, mouth or throat.
To avert these effects, take black pepper in moderation and avoid inhaling it into your lungs as that can lead to fatal effect or death.
What is black pepper essential oil used for?
What is Black pepper oil? Little is known about black pepper oil even though it exists.
It is an essential oil mostly used in aromatherapy for its anti-arthritic and anti-rheumatic health benefits.
When applied,the oil improves blood circulation and gives relief from arthritis, rheumatism and gout by helping the body increase the removal of uric acid from the body.
What is black pepper powder?
Black pepper is the powder made from grinding the already sun or oven-dried black-turned ripe peppercorns.
After the grinding into powder,its now regarded as black pepper powder and later dispensed in branded containers or satchets for sale.
Is black pepper powder the same as black pepper?
Yes. This is because the black pepper powder is directly produced from the ripe dried black peppercorns.
The only slight difference is that the fruit tastes spicier than when it is processed into black pepper powder.
How do you make pepper powder?
Get the ripe peppercorns and sun dry or oven dry at low temperature for days until the ripe skin turns wrinkled black and fruits dry.
Grind with a spider grinder into fine powder, sieve properly to get finer powder and store in properly empty, dry and sealed containers.
Is black pepper bad for your kidneys?
No but there are genuine concerns and reason to reduce or completely avoid taking foods like black pepper that is rich on oxalate if you have been diagnosed or suffering from calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Can too much black pepper kill you?
Yes it can kill you. Taking large amounts of black pepper by inhalation can lead to death and choking on large amount of black pepper resulting into accidentally getting into the lungs must be avoided
What are the benefits of black pepper?
Black pepper is widely used as a spice in cooking recipes and seasoning for foods.
It is very rich in antioxidants that help mop up the free radicals that float around in the body and can damage your body cells and cause premature aging of cell. This is one of the reasons it is believed that it may help reduce the risk of cancer.
The anti-inflammatory properties of black pepper is well known and hence incorporated in analgesic creams for pain relief.
It has the capacity to increase blood flow to vital organs like the brain and stimulate the defense mechanism in the mucosal layer.
It is believed that it can lower blood sugar and bad LDL cholesterol in the blood.
What Pepper does to the body?
Black pepper is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E most B vitamins and in particular vitamin B5 along with other phytochemicals like alkaloidal piperine and flavonoids that are essential anti-oxidants which may prevent and heal ulcers and reduce onset of degenerative diseases.
Does black pepper make food spicy?
Absolutely! Although the dried peppercorn is more spicy than black pepper powder and you may need to add more quantity of black pepper powder to achieve same level of spiciness by a smaller quantity of the dried peppercorn.
Unlike chilli pepper, black pepper’s spiciness is due to its piperine.
What flavor does black pepper add?
It adds a sharply intense and biting spicy taste which has been described as woody and piney.
Does black pepper make you sweat?
Black pepper contains piperine which stimulate increase blood flow to the cells making you feel warmer and the subsequent sweating you experience is your body’s response to restore the body back to its normal temperature.
So when your face become red and flushed, your breathing increases, nose run, and your eyes turn watery, it is all an attempt to restore homeostasis after the reaction the piperine sets off in your body.
That is why it is recommended to consume the black pepper in moderation.
Is black pepper bad for you?
No for as long as it is eaten in moderation and not inhaled into your lung. Its consumption is largely beneficial to health.
How do you eat black pepper?
It is better sprinkled on foods to spice up the foods such as fruit and vegetable salad. It can be used as food seasoning too and it features as ingredients in lots of recipes.
Some people lick the black pepper powder or swallow/chew the peppercorns while the essential black pepper oil is inhaled or rubbed in aromatherapy.
Is black pepper good for liver?
There is more information on the beneficial effect of capsaicin on liver cells in mouse than on piperine but it is suggested that piperine may have a beneficial effect on the liver.
Does black pepper digest in the human body?
Yes.In a test conducted on rats, it was reported that when piperine is taken by mouth, about 36% of the piperine was excreted as conjugated phenols in urine and 62% as metabolites .
This was observed from increased excretion of conjugated uronic acids, conjugated sulphates and phenols indicating that scission of the methylenedioxy group of piperine, glucuronidation and sulphation appear to be the major steps in the digestion and removal of piperine by the body.
This is the link to the suggestion that black pepper may be very helpful in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and gout as it helps the body deplete its uric acid deposits.
High concentrations of uric acid in the blood can lead to gout and some other medical conditions like diabetes and the formation of ammonium acid urate kidney stones.
What are the healthiest peppers?
Red peppers contain the most nutritional value. This is because they are fully matured and ripe with the maximum amount of the nutrients in fruits the soil can provide to nourish the healthy plant. Green peppers are next and this is because they are harvested earlier, before ripen.
Compared to green unripe peppers, the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and almost twice more vitamin C than the green pepper.
Does black pepper increase blood pressure?
Yes it does with its Piperine that lowers , risk of hypertension induced by the inhibition of the enzyme that produces Nitric oxide(NO).
What happens if you eat black pepper every day?
Black pepper can be consumed daily especially if you are not suffering oxalate crystals kidney stones.
Its piperine helps your body enhance its metabolic performance and prevent fat accumulation in the body as more calories are burnt .
The spice also increases the concentration of good cholesterol and lowers the bad cholesterol.
Is black pepper good for cough?
If it is a productive cough caused by mucus congestion of the airway, then eating black pepper can help stimulate more secretion of mucus which thins out the mucus leaving the airway decongested.
In some home remedy, black pepper powder is mixed with honey to help relief symptoms in both dry and productive coughs
Which is hotter white or black pepper?
Black pepper is hotter and spicier than white pepper.
The outer layer(pericarp) is removed in white pepper after days of being soaked in water unlike the black pepper fruit that retains its outer layer and the piperine in it.
Is black pepper inflammatory?
Yes. Its main bioactive compound,piperine and other ingredients in it makes it an effective antioxidant when consumed.
Black pepper is an essential part of most health and spicy foods for its spicy seasoning flavor, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Can you be intolerant to black pepper?
Yes. If you find out that you are allergic to piperine or suddenly develop rashes on the skin, intense itching in the mouth and excessive watery eyes and runny nose each time you take black pepper, it is better to avoid taking black pepper or its derivative products like back pepper powder and black pepper essential oil.
Does black pepper give you diarrhea?
If you consume large amount of black pepper, you will experience diarrhoea which relieves after your body has discharged the excess piperine.
Does black pepper dissolve in water?
Black pepper itself does not dissolve in water but the piperine is slightly soluble in water so when you add black pepper or black pepper powder to water, it imparts its spicy flavour in the water.
Why does black pepper make me cough?
Cough in healthy and normal individuals, is largely due to our normal reflex action to clean and clear airways but if you cough after taking black pepper, it could be a reaction to the presence of the chemicals in the black pepper in your body and the coughing is likely more of a temporary experience.
Is black pepper bad for hemorrhoids?
Some of the the pipeline in the black pepper remains in their active forms even by the time they reach the anal region and this hot and biting experience is felt as discomfort.
Since piperine increases blood flow to these tissues, its presence there may further increase blood supply to the already swollen hemmorhoids.
So if you are suffering from hemmorhoids in the anal area, it is best to cut back on black pepper and generally spicy foods.
Is black pepper good for baby?
Once babies have been weaned and moved away from bottle feeding, small tiny quantities of mild tasting spices like black pepper may be added to the baby food (e.g baby porridge)for their health benefits.
Why is black pepper so expensive?
There is a boost in the demand for black pepper over the years as world population grows.
This demand for black pepper keeps increasing while farmers face difficulties in production and transport to the major buyers.
With the lifting of the economic lockdown imposed in most countries in the world due to Covid-19, there is now increased demand for black pepper due to more purchase of pepper for industrial use and increasing number of restaurants opening for business to the public.
Best Brands of Black Pepper
TRS Black Pepper Coarse,
Organic Tattva Black Pepper Whole,
Lev’s Farm Whole Black Pepper,
Urban Platter Organic Black Pepper,
24 Mantra Organic Black Pepper,
Shrestha Black Pepper,
Back To Roots Organic Black Pepper,
Seeds and Hands Black Pepper.
How To Get Black Pepper For Free
This premium brand of black pepper comes with huge discount.
Check out the discount below
